Two Divine Beasts Vying for Affection

"Holy shit!"

"Big bro, you're giving birth."

"Fuck off, can't you talk properly?"

"Wait no, big bro, the egg is giving birth—no, that's not right either..."

"Big bro, the egg's cracked."

"Your damn egg is cracked!"

"The dragon egg! The dragon egg's cracked!"

"No shit, you think I'm blind? Can't see it myself?"

Da Huang gave Chen Chang'an an awkward grin before turning to see Yi Tuo snickering in the corner.

"Heh heh heh."

"Heh my ass, piss off, dumbass."

"Why you cursing at me?"

"'Cause I damn well feel like it."

"Seriously, you think I'm some pushover?"

Yi Tuo's turtle eyes flared with rage as he glared at Da Huang.

"Oho, eyes open now? Thought you were napping this whole time."

"Damn, those are some big eyes." Da Huang sneered.

"I'll wreck you!"

Without another word, Yi Tuo lunged at Da Huang, chomping down on his tail.

"Ow! You little—!"

Da Huang retaliated instantly, twisting around to bite back—but Yi Tuo just shifted along with the tail.

"Screw this, I’ll get you!"

With Yi Tuo clamped onto his tail, Da Huang spun in frantic circles like a deranged top.

Chen Chang'an ignored the two idiots, his focus entirely on the dragon egg.

Cracks spiderwebbed across its surface, and the faint pulse of a living creature emanated from within.

"It's alive? After all these years, how?"

"Unbelievable. This defies everything we know about dragons."

"Maybe our understanding of dragonkind was just... lacking."

As they debated, the egg shattered completely, revealing a meter-long Young Dragon.

The moment it opened its eyes, excitement flickered in its gaze—and its first sight was Chen Chang'an.

"Oh no."

"Don’t tell me it thinks I’m its dad?"

The intensity of the Young Dragon’s stare made Chen Chang'an freeze. That look was way too affectionate.

"Don’t call me dad."

"I’m not your father."

Seeing the dragon part its jaws, Chen Chang'an hastily waved his hands to stop it.

His words, however, only drew a puzzled tilt of the dragon’s head.

"I was going to say... thank you."

"Who said anything about you being my dad?"

"Do I look stupid?"

"I can see we’re not the same species."

"Are you brain-damaged?"

The Young Dragon’s crisp, fluent human speech left everyone stunned.

Holy hell—dragons really were built different. Hatched five seconds ago and already roasting people?

But wait… shouldn’t it be speaking draconic?

"Big bro, dragons inherit ancestral memories. That includes human language."

"Still, this one’s… off."

"Look at its eyes. Way too sharp for a newborn."

Da Huang, now dizzy from spinning, flopped onto the ground with his tongue out but still managed to analyze the situation like a pro.

Chen Chang'an agreed. The dragon’s gaze held an uncanny maturity, its speech too polished. Had it been… practicing inside the egg?

Cultivating in its shell like some overachiever? Most start prenatal training in the womb—this guy went for the egg phase?

"What exactly are you thanking me for?" Chen Chang'an asked.

"For helping me hatch, obviously."

"Not for sparing you the horror of me calling you daddy."

The Young Dragon’s eye-roll cemented Chen Chang'an’s suspicion: this little bastard was not your average hatchling.

"Fine. No thanks needed."

"Now scram."

Huh?

Let it leave?

Chen Chang'an’s casual dismissal baffled everyone present. This was a dragon—a legendary being—and he was shooing it away like a stray cat?

The Young Dragon itself seemed offended.

"You’re… dismissing me?"

"I am dragonkind. Noble, majestic, coveted."

"And you feel nothing?" it demanded, incredulous.

"What’s there to feel?"

"Congrats on being fancy. Now beat it."

"Unacceptable!"

“Do you have any idea how many in the Tai Gu Xian Yu would kill for a dragon mount?”

"Or how—"

"Don’t care. Not interested."

"Mount? Already got one."

Chen Chang'an pointed at Da Huang, which visibly wounded the Young Dragon’s pride. It got upstaged by a dog?

To add insult, Da Huang shot it a smug look. "Yeah, and I got a mount too. Check it."

He jabbed a paw at Yi Tuo, still latched onto his tail.

The logic short-circuited the Young Dragon’s brain. A mount’s mount?

One horrifying mental image later—three idiots stacked like a dysfunctional circus act—it winced.

"...Interesting."

"I’m joining."

"I’ll be the mount."

"You must let me be your mount, otherwise, you're not giving me face."

Chen Chang'an had lived for so long, but this was the first time he'd ever encountered such a request.

Weren't you just boasting about being a noble dragon? Now you're begging to be someone's mount?

Where's your pride?

Your dignity?

So you're just another rebellious dragon, huh? More like a donkey—won't move when pulled, backs up when beaten!

"Are you kidding me?"

"I'm already my big bro's mount—don't even think about stealing my spot!" Da Huang snapped.

"Oh really?"

"You think a dragon like me is worse than a dog like you?"

"Dog?"

"Alright, today, this lord will make sure you open your eyes wide and see the truth!"

Da Huang sneered, then revealed his true form.

A Qilin!

An actual divine beast Qilin?!

The four elders of Qifeng Valley were utterly stunned, unable to believe what was happening before their eyes.

Is this for real?!

A dragon begging Chen Chang'an to be his mount was one thing, but his actual mount turned out to be a freaking Qilin?!

Another divine beast?!

Who would’ve guessed that such a scruffy-looking dog was actually a Qilin? How far has the Qilin clan fallen?

And when it comes to status, the Qilin and Dragon clans are evenly matched—there’s no clear winner in terms of prestige.

The Young Dragon’s sense of superiority instantly crumbled the moment Da Huang revealed his true form.

Damn, he’s met his match.

"Da Huang, you look so cool!"

Yi Tuo stared at him excitedly. Admittedly, in his true form, Da Huang did have a certain domineering aura.

"Obviously. How else could I be your big bro? Don’t think just because you’re stronger now that it’ll last. I’m still growing—I’ll surpass you sooner or later," Da Huang bragged.

Still growing?

You’re taking your sweet time with that.

"Well, kid, still think I’m worse than you?"

"So what? I was hatched by him. Were you?"

"In terms of closeness, we’re practically family. He’s not my birth father, but calling him ‘godfather’ wouldn’t be wrong," the Young Dragon shot back without backing down.

Godfather?!

Damn, this kid’s shameless! Just straight-up calling Chen Chang'an his godfather?!

"What’s the big deal?"

"Let me tell you, my big bro is also my—"

"Shut the hell up!"

Before Da Huang could finish, Chen Chang'an kicked him flying.